Slums and informal housing in India: a critical look at official statistics with regard to water and sanitation

ABSTRACT

The official data on slums and basic urban services are important sources for Indian planners and policy makers. With regard to national and international benchmarks they are consulted in order to identify and target those in need of development schemes. This article takes a closer look at the official definitions and numbers and raises questions about their reliability and their comprehensiveness. By comparing these statistics with findings obtained during fieldwork undertaken between 2011 and 2014 in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad questions emerge concerning the effectiveness in helping the most marginalized sections of society.

KEYWORDS:

• Slum
• census
• water
• sanitation
• Hyderabad
• India

Notes

1. In 2014 Andhra Pradesh was divided into two states, Telangana and the remaining Andhra Pradesh. In this article Andhra Pradesh refers to the state before the division.

2. Personal communication with Dr Narasimha Reddy, Joint Action for Water, Hyderabad, 14 February 2013.

3. Personal communication with the additional mission director, Mission for Elimination of Poverty in Municipal Areas, Hyderabad, 16 February 2012.

4. If a slum is officially notified there is no restriction on its minimum number of households.